In January, 450 pastors and lay members from the Southern California Conference (SCC) Hispanic Region met at White Memorial church to receive plans for the region’s upcoming year of evangelism.
“The main objective was to motivate laity ministries to work together for better development of the field and aim for a greater reach,” said Juan Osorio, SCC Hispanic Region director. “Under the motto ‘Together, We Will Go’ (Juntos Iremos), adapted from the General Conference (GC) Total Member Involvement initiative, we aim to fulfill the mission given to the disciples.”
The meeting focused on this mission to spread the gospel. Guest speakers Ramón Canals, GC Ministerial Association secretary; Robert Costa, associate ministerial secretary, GC evangelist; and Yohalmo Saravia, Southeastern California Conference vice president of Hispanic Ministries, emphasized three aspects of the mission: grow, retain, and rescue.
The evangelism plan presented will be executed in two cycles. The first will take place with each church involved. The second cycle will take place at the zone, or metropolitan, level, in which different churches will work together for campaigns on a larger scale. Participants will meet again in November to mark the culmination of this year of evangelism and share how God has worked.
While region-wide evangelism campaigns are not new for the Hispanic region, the implementation of this two-cycle method was designed to streamline the efforts of all participating churches with a cohesive approach toward shared mission and purpose. With this plan in place, Osorio hopes to encourage the missionary spirit in the Hispanic Region.
“We pray for more fervent workers in the missionary field and that we may fulfill His entrusted mission,” said Osorio. “May God bless and guide SCC in this noble purpose in the service of our Lord.”
